Dreaming Hard Isn't Really Delusional or Mental

This week’s memo: “Delulu has always been the solulu”

“Get your head out of the clouds. Stop being unrealistic.”

Why is everyone so fixated on being “realistic”? If you are truly realistic, you should also recognize that you can say yes, say no, and explore other possibilities.

I have reached a point in my life where I feel ready to fully express myself. I dream a lot, and when I dream, I don’t just imagine outcomes. I envision the person I want to become and the life I want to build. People often act like it’s a trade off. If you want something badly enough, you have to sacrifice your personality or let go of the dream. I have never understood that. Why should you have to choose when the dream is yours to shape?

Others will try to define what is realistic for you, even when you show a deep desire for something more. Their version of realism is often just a reflection of their own limitations. There is nothing realistic about limited belief. Hope is part of realism too, as long as it is not blind optimism but a grounded kind of optimism that pushes you to take action and improve your future.

“Get your head out of the clouds,” past people in my life would used to say. Now many of them seem stuck and unsure about the choices they have made. As for me, I won’t abandon my dreams. Everything I envision feels possible. I may be one person in a vast world, but I know I carry something unique, a mindset and path that belong entirely to me.

So what path do I want? What path am I on? What path should I take?

The truth is, I don’t fully know. You can plan and calculate every step, but life will always be unpredictable. The best you can do is stay clear on what you want and be ready for whatever comes. Life has taught me not to focus on what is right in front of me. Make the most of what you have, then gradually build toward what you desire while adjusting along the way.

Right now, I am at a VERY pivotal moment in my life. I have let go of my home and moved into an apartment. I am no longer engaged or on good terms with my former fiancé. I have been pushed out and denied equity from past business ventures I was a part of. Recently, I also parted ways with my job in pursuit of something more. I could let all of this break me, but I do not see it that way. I see it as an opportunity to step into the unknown. My path has been cleared, and now it is mine to redefine.

I have always wanted to express myself, not just be known as someone chasing dreams, but someone living them. Now I have the chance to embrace that journey fully, to look and feel like myself while doing it. Instead of constantly navigating other people’s expectations, I can let my authenticity shape who comes into my life. Maybe I could have done this sooner, but when you are surrounded by people who put you in a box every day, it is hard to break free.

So no, I will not take my head out of the clouds.

I will stand firmly on the ground with my head still in the sky.

I will give myself everything I dream of.
I will become someone with purpose and a voice.
I will not live a life that does not make me happy.

- Lionel Loevall Reddick